Stronger
by KaitlinRoxUrSox
Summary: Even the strongest, smartest, most independent people have their dark days, their sad days, their broken days. And as much as they like to think that they can take care of themselves, sometimes, they need a reminder to keep fighting, to stay strong. Sometimes, Regina needs that reminder. This is a one shot for my best friend- Kelsey. Happy Birthday, girl!


**a/n: this is a special one shot for my best friend: Kelsey because tomorrow is her birthday. Kelsey: I LOVE YOU. You're my internet-mother who so graciously adopted me and has taught me your ways. (fangirling at 3 in the morning instead of sleeping, watching hours and hours of TV endlessly, and that shipping is a violent art form, not a past time). You've also counseled me through my tv feels, and my real life feels, and I can't thank you enough for all of your advice. I love you five-ever dude. You're the best. **

**This is just a oneshot…and I honestly don't really know what's going on in it. Take it as you will…I just was writing and then I was like oh i'm going to watch OUAT again from the pilot, and so i've been rewatching for like the whole day and it was probably the best and worst decision of my life i am an emotional wreck.**

**So, I hope you like this, and to everyone else- read, review and enjoy!**

**.oOo.**

"Not everything is black and white, Henry. Life isn't always that simple," Regina told Henry tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was done fighting. She just didn't have anything left in her. Emma would be here soon to take Henry away from her. He would be living with Snow, Charming and Emma, because Regina could no longer 'be trusted.'

"Well I'm sick of it!" Henry shouted. He stormed off up the stairs, slamming the door when he got to his room.

"Well I'm sick of you acting like a toddler," Regina muttered, as she walked into the kitchen. Leaning up against her counter, she instantly regretted her words as they came out, even though he didn't hear her. Yes, Regina was the Evil Queen, and yes, she had done a lot wrong. But all that dark magic, and evil was supposed to stay separate from Henry. He was the one corner of her heart that hadn't been tainted yet, and she couldn't let it become soiled.

To be honest, Henry's toddler years had been the happiest years of her entire life. She got to watch him grow from a gurgling baby into an intelligent little boy. In that time, he looked up to Regina, and she was perfect to him in every way. He loved her infinitely, and nothing could taint that. That was until he started his search for Emma.

She could say Henry's recent behavior towards her was him just being a moody preteen, hormones and all. But that would be a lie. She could say it was the way he was raised, but Regina had taught him better than to be disrespectful to adults, especially his mother, so that was a lie, too.

She knew why he acted the way he did. Why he said the things he said. Why he thought the way he thought.

She was the Evil Queen. She never did anything right. She's just one big screw up. She hates everyone. She wants to kill his family. She wants to destroy everything he loved. She wants to take away his happiness. She wants revenge.

Yes, perhaps she was the Evil Queen, who had a vengeful heart. And yes, she'd even go as far as saying that she was a screw up- a huge screwup. But she didn't hate everyone, she didn't want to kill his family, or destroy everything he loved, and she most certainly did not want to take away his happiness. She wanted the opposite, in fact. All she wanted was the best for Henry. And for Christ's Sakes, she was human! Of course she was going to make mistakes. But the way Henry saw it these days, she made mistakes because she was wicked and evil.

Snow White and Prince Charming were supposedly the 'good guys.' They never made mistakes. They were gods in Henry's eyes. And of course, because they were so good, they gave birth to literal perfection: Emma Swan.

The blonde was Henry's hero, the savior. Regina was almost sure he had an image of Emma robed in white- pure, honorable, worthy of love. Hell, Emma Swan was far from pure, but Henry didn't know that, because no one went around broadcasting anyone else's mistakes in town. Only Regina's.

And now, Regina had nothing. She wasn't allowed to be queen, or mayor, or mother, or apparently human, because every single mistake she made was a product of her evil nature. Regina had literally been reduced to her feelings. She could no longer hide behind the wicked seductiveness of the Evil Queen, or the confident power of the mayor, or the loving care of Henry's mother. Now all that was left were her true emotions- brokeness, emptiness, fear, loneliness- and she was being forced to wear them on her sleeves, or be a stone cold bitch. The choice was hers.

She had lost her father, her lover, her mother and now her son. And maybe it was all her fault. Maybe if she just took responsibility for all mistakes, and bore everyone's trials and tribulations, they would leave her alone. Well, she was already alone. Maybe they would just stop her harassing her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car door slamming shut. Emma Swan.

Regina quickly moved to the sink and splashed cold water in her face, in hopes of lessening her reddened cheeks and puffy eyes from the countless tears she had cried.

She walked to the door when she heard the two knocks signaling Emma's arrival. This was it. Time to be a brave bitch, because that's all she had left. She opened the door.

"Ms. Swan," Regina said, practically emotionless, unable to meet Emma's eye. She wasn't sure if she'd see anger, or pity, but she wanted none of it.

"Is Henry ready?" Emma asked, her voice short and words clipped. Her hands were shoved into loose, flared jeans, a deviation from the usual obscenely tight ones she used to wear. In exchange for that god awful red jacket she usually wore, was a grey tank top, and a blue zip up hoodie covering it. Moccasins instead of leather boots, and glasses instead of contacts. She looked unusually…natural.

"He should be. I'll go get him," Regina said, turning quickly, anxious to get out of the scrutiny of Emma Swan.

Unbeknownst to Regina, Emma hadn't been judging her, or pitying her. Emma was just…there. Waiting for Henry.

"Henry, Emma's here," Regina called softly and lovingly, from the bottom of the stairs. He may hate her, but she could never stop loving him.

"Thank God," He muttered, blowing by her.

"Hey," Emma said sternly, an angry look on her face, grabbing Henry by the shoulder. "You don't get to talk to her like that. I don't know who you think you are, but you better knock that attitude off right now."

"Sorry," Henry muttered, staring at her shoes.

"Don't apologize to me," Emma scolded. Henry turned to Regina.

"Sorry," He said again, staring at her shoes this time.

"It's alright, Henry," Regina murmured, her voice smooth and quiet.

"No. It's not alright," Emma said angrily. "You don't get to talk to her like that. And you don't get to just take it!" Emma exclaimed. Regina was shocked by Emma's sudden attitude shift. She was never like this. She never yelled at Henry, Regina thought because she didn't want to taint Henry's image of the savior being white and pure.

"Ms. Swan, I said that it was alright. You two should go now," Regina said, exhausted. She really didn't want to fight anymore. She thought it might just kill her.

"No it's not alright. And we're not leaving until that is clear. Henry, that is your mother. I don't give a damn what anyone else says or thinks about her. She has taken care of you since you were a newborn. She has fed you, clothed you, held you through every nightmare, bandaged every scrape, gone to every recital, graduation and soccer game, cared for you through every flu, stomach bug and ear infection. So for you to treat her with anything but the utmost respect and love is completely unacceptable!" Emma exploded.

Henry couldn't bring himself to shed any tears, but after Emma scolding him, he was more than sorry. He hated that she was angry and disappointed with him, and he hated that he had acted so badly towards Regina. She had been letting him get away with it recently, and others treated her like that, and made it seem like that was what she deserved, so it naturally just happened that he would do the same.

"I'm sorry, mom," he said feebly, his lip trembling as he tried to hold back the tears.

"Thank you Henry," Regina said. She moved closer to him and hugged her son tightly. Henry returned it stiffly, and Regina felt her heart break a little more.

"Emma," Henry began, but she shook her head.

"Take your bag and wait in the car," Emma said firmly.

"But-" He began.

"Go, Henry," she said pointing towards the car. He took his bag and sulked off to her yellow VW Bug.

"You're not leaving yet?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. She really just wanted to be left alone at this point.

"Not yet," Emma said shaking her head. She stepped in Regina's house and shut the door.

"Come on in," Regina murmured as Emma walked by her into the middle of the foyer. This was Regina's house, her turf, so why did she feel so powerless?

"Why?" Emma asked. One simple word, with over a hundred implications in Regina's case, at least.

"Why what, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked. If she were to give answers for all the 'whys' in her life, she figured they'd be there for a while, and she knew Emma didn't want that.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Emma asked quietly after a moment of thinking.

"Fighting for what?" Regina sneered. Bearing her broken soul was gone, being the bitch was back.

"Anything! My parents are trying to take Henry from you. You won't fight them. My mother, who you've hated forever, just killed your mother, and you've hulled yourself up in your house and you won't fight that. You hate me for more reasons than I can count and you won't fight with me, even though I'm being an ass and picking a fight! The least you could do is scold your son, who is acting like a brat!" Emma yelled.

"What would be the point of fighting, Ms. Swan? You are all telling me that I need to stop fighting, that love is the answer, to 'be good.' Yet you want me to fight?" Regina asked, trying to twist Emma's words. She knew what Emma wanted, what Emma meant, but she liked to get a rise out of the woman.

"Damnit, Regina. You know what I'm talking about," Emma said rolling her eyes.

"Whatever you are attempting to do, you might as well stop. Your efforts are futile," Regina said quietly.

"I am on your side. I am fighting for you everywhere I go because you won't fight for yourself. Why won't you let me?" Emma screamed.

"Because I can't afford it," Regina said, her voice cracking. Her knees felt wobbly; she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay standing.

"Why, Regina? I can help you! I want to help you!" Emma cried out, "Why don't you let people love you anymore? Why won't you let ME love you?"

"I had a love once," Regina whispered, her voice shaky, "And then I had Henry."

"And now?" Emma asked.

"He's gone. And I don't need any one else,"Regina said firmly.

"I'm standing here, practically begging for you to let me help you, and you're pushing me away?" Emma asked.

"I don't need you," Regina shook her head.

"Then you'll never feel better. You'll always have to hide behind this fake confidence that you carry. I know it's not real, Regina. You're just scared. And broken. I know," Emma said, and with that, she turned to leave. She opened the door and as she went to step out, she was stopped by Regina's voice, almost inaudible.

"Maybe you're right…" Regina whispered.

"Of course I am," Emma said, a smirk on her face.

"Well you don't have to be such a self righteous ass about it. I don't like admitting that I'm wrong," Regina spat.

"I know you don't. But this…this is going to fix everything. It might take time, but things will get better," Emma reminded her.

"Stop. I said you were right. I didn't say anything about you helping," Regina said firmly.

"Wait…what? I thought-" Regina cut her off.

"I don't love you Emma Swan. And you may think because you're the savior you can fix everyone's problems, but you are wrong. I am going to fight, Ms. Swan. But I'm going to fight for myself. Because I am strong enough to do it on my own." Regina stood taller and prouder than she had in a long time.

"You can go now, Ms. Swan," Regina said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ms. Swan, you may think that you are superior to the idiots of this town because you are the 'savior', so to speak, and that is fine with me. You are welcome to think whatever the hell you want. Just know, that you aren't helping me. I am helping myself. Goodbye, Ms. Swan," Regina said, and led Emma to the door.

"Bye, Regina," Emma said, with a smile on her face. She walked down Regina's lawn, and turned when she heard Regina call out once again.

"And take those glasses off and put your red jacket back on. You look ridiculous," Regina scoffed.

"Goodbye, Regina," Emma said in a singsongy voice with a little wave, and a grin from ear to ear. Even though it hurt to know that Regina did not reciprocate the feelings that Emma had just revealed,(and she'd probably be embarrassed about it later) Emma had done something good. Whether Regina would admit it or not, Emma _had _indeed helped her. Regina was back, and perhaps a little less broken, and a little more strong than before, knowing that she did have people on her side. Knowing that things would get better. Regina would be okay. Finally, everything we would be okay.


End file.
